Although justice and assistance not at sight...Widow commits to raise children by sweat of brows
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 12 2015: Although justice and assistance from the Govt is not at sight, Wahengbam (N) Wangkhem (O) Preeti Devi, who lost her husband at the hands of a militant group in 2008, is committed to raise her two little children by the sweats of her brows.

Convinced that the honest way to raise her children is by the sweat of her brows, Preeti, who hails from Ahallup Makha Leikai, rented a Sangam of agriculture land belonging to one of her aunts and started cultivating seasonal vegetables since June last year.

Soon after, some widows of the locality joined her and they together formed Lanleima Self Help Group.

Their creativity, sincerity and social skills combined are keeping them going in the face of hardships.

Grit and strength sustain them as they courageously take care of their families.

Buoyed by the success of their venture, the SHG is now planning to cultivate mushrooms too on their rented land.

Lanleima Self Help Group, Kairang is a novel venture of the widows who started cultivation of seasonal vegetables on a rented agriculture land.

The widows sell the vegetables door to door at the neighbourhoods to support their children.

Their efforts are paying dividends.

In a chat with The Sangai Express, Preeti said that she started the venture since June last year after returning to her biological parents from the place of her in-laws.

Preeti said that she had lost her husband, Wangkhem Punachandra Singh (then 30) s/o W Birmangol of Kairang Maning Leikai on January 9, 2008 .

Recounting her tale, she said that a group of three unidentified armed men entered their house on the evening of that fateful day and wanted to spend the night at their house.

At that moment, her husband, who was the sports secretary of the local club, was away to attend a meeting of the club.

Preeti was under postpartum care and her mother-in-law was not keeping well.

Saying that there was no male member of the house, she and her mother-in-law pleaded with the armed men that their stay for the night would not be convenient.

The two ladies also told them that they would make arrangement for their stay at their neighbour's residence.

The armed men then suspiciously scanned the house and the surrounding areas.

Her husband returned home at that moment.

On seeing him, the armed men felt provoked and started an argument.

At around 8 pm, they shot him near their house and left the place.

Local people launched a protest demanding clarification from the group concerned.

Other than a claim made by a group which said that Punachandra was punished for his involvement in a killing that took place at Delhi some time back, no other claim was made nor the fact was established, she said.

Preeti said her husband was a sepak takraw player and spared no efforts to make a mark in sports.

He also worked hard to support the family by engaging himself in backyard piggery and poultry farming.

She started an entrepreneurial venture in handicraft.

She said that she received an assistance of Rs 10,000 under Rajiv Gandhi Foundation Scheme.

Her mother had also assisted her with Rs 1 lakh.

Later, she joined some NGOs like Wide Angle, Women's Gun Survivor Network and is the treasurer of the newly formed Manipur Conflict Widows' Organisation.

Although justice is apparently not at sight, she is committed to raise her two little children through honest means and by the sweat of her labour.

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